The practice was selected as one of the two finalists in an international competition for designing the tower in Fuzhou, China. As one of the tallest building currently under development in China, the tower integrates architecture design with structural optimization, cultural harmony and environmental sensitivity.
Located at a prominent riverfront site, Shimao North Riverfront Tower will become a dramatic centerpiece of the new business district and explores sensible approaches to supertall building. A key feature of the tower design is the introduction of two intertwining and twisting volumes, gently tapering towards the top, creating a dynamic and futuristic sculptural form.
The tower’s elegant tapered form is inspired by natural surroundings of the site, such as the rolling hill topography and flowing watercourse. In contrast to many form-driven towers however, Shimao Fuzhou Tower aims to integrate the architectural concept with structure optimization, while creating an iconic and futuristic landmark with efficiency and contextual sensibility.
Design principal Ping Jiang worked with a team including Michael Morgan, Sean Lu, Xiaohai Lin, Yuhai Cheng, Xinyi Lu, Yun Gong, Ze Wang, Wei Xu, Xin Ji, Xingrong Chen, Liu Yang, Xiaohui Tang, Zhe Wang, Zhaofeng Liu, and Kailin Sun
Around 437,200 square meters of space will consist of office spaces, service apartments, a hotel and an observation deck at the upper portion of the towering shaft. A seven-level podium comprises retail, culture venues and hotel amenities such as museum, ball room and conference center. It provides direct access to a subway station.
The roof terrace features a large amphitheater-like space. This site is further delineated into a sequence of event places, ranging from sunken plaza, sculpture garden and landscaped gathering place for casual encounter and recreational activities.
Its form melds a contemporary aesthetic inspired by the traditional Chinese landscape paintings and artifacts. A transformation of the curvilinear organic envelope is understood through the nature of its relationship with its direct neighborhood. While the overall silhouette of tower remains unique and restrained within the city’s skyline, the façade becomes more ambitious and dynamic in the middle and bottom portions of its massing. A highly efficient floor plan configuration is achieved by limiting the twisting moves as surface manipulation.
Collaborating with structural engineers from Arup, an innovative structure solution was achieved through outrigger trusses coupled with columns of mega-structure system. Working with the twisting envelope, this optimized structural system is engineered to remove the diagonal frames typically associated with the mega-structure. It provides maximum structural efficiency and minimizing the interference to the views by the diagonals.
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